Big Smoke
Big Smoke (born Melvin Harris) was an OG in the Grove Street Families who was an advocate of the crack cocaine trade in Los Angeles. He conspired with the Ballas against themwhen Sweet Johnson, their leader, refused to deal drugs, and he was eventually killed as revenge for the death of Beverly Johnson in 1993, a year later. Biography Melvin Harris was born on Grove Street in Compton, Los Angeles, and befriended Sweet Johnson and Carl Johnson, two of the kids on the block. Together, they created the Johnson boys then later Grove Street Families street gang after OGF Faded from the scene, and quickly rose to power in the 1980s. He fought the Ballas, but was not active in most of the drive-by shootings, as he grew overweight (which his homies poked fun at). He was known to be religious, quoting the Bible on more than one occasion, and was well-liked by his friends, but lost some respect when he moved out of the Grove to go and live in Idlewood. He bought a house there using his aunt's will to get money for it, and eventually started to argue with Sweet. He wanted the drugs trade in his neighborhoods to counter the Ballas' dominance in the coke business, but when Sweet refused, he secretly collaborated with the Ballas against the Families. He arranged a drive-by for Sweet in 1992 at the Johnson House, but the Ballas killed Beverly Johnson, Sweet's mom, accidentally. Big Smoke was mad that the drive-by failed, but continued to be undercover, working with the GSF, but he did not fire on any Ballas, while the others did. Big Smoke eventually made connections with the Russian Mafia and other gangs in the city, and had some stakes in the arms trade as well as drugs. Eventually, he was found out by the GSF, when Cesar Vialpando showed CJ Big Smoke, Ryder Wilson, Eddie Pulaski, and Frank Tenpenny talking next to the Green Sabre that was used to kill Beverly Johnson. He realized that Sweet had been lured into an ambush when Big Smoke tipped-off a Ballas convoy on the highway, and Sweet was wounded and imprisoned. Carl escaped, and Big Smoke assisted the Ballas in taking over Grove turf. However, after months of staying in San Francisco and Las Vegas, CJ returned home and began to take back lost GSF turf with Sweet. They took back Glen Park and Idlewood, and they decided to take down Big Smoke once and for all during the LA Riots. Death Sweet Johnson and CJ Johnson drove to the crack palace of Big Smoke in Idlewood, intent on getting revenge. Sweet stayed in the car as CJ entered the lab, shooting his way through Ballas, Vagos, and Russians, and eventually found Big Smoke on a couch, wearing a bulletproof vest. He confronted Big Smoke, who told him that it was all about the money for him. CJ shot him in the chest with a shotgun, mortally wounding him. He told CJ that people would remember him when he was gone, before dying from gunshot wounds. Category:Grove Street Families Category:Gangsters Category:Americans Category:Killed Category:Ballas